I need help >.<

I'm going to an Anime convention next weekend... and I have to make Bento lunches for 6-8 people. How would i go about doing this?
If I make 6 different kinds of bentos... my shopping list ends up huge >.<
A friend suggested that I make them all the same thing. Or, make it like a pic-nick and have one container with the main course (probably chicken of some kind), and 2 or 3 smaller containers with other options like the 'egg buddies', octopus weenies and things like that... and of course Onigiri :3
What are your suggestions??

Definitely don't make 6 different kinds of bentos! Are you going to be making the bentos for the whole weekend? Just lunch, or lunch and dinner/breakfast? Because if you're making most of the meals, you should get someone to help you pay for groceries. >.< And depending on how many guys you have present, this could add up to A LOT of food, especially if you have people who aren't used to the smaller portioned meals typical of bentos.

Anyway. I like the picnic idea, and chicken is a pretty good main dish because most people like it. For your side dishes don't forget veggies! (Eggs, chicken, weenies, and meat-filled onigiri isn't a very balanced meal.) I'd recommend trying to make your menu items as finger-foody as possible. (In hotel rooms at anime conventions, there's usually very little room for setting down plates, unless you eat on the floor, which is fine, but still cramped.) Definitely stick with the food that best eaten at room temperature, because it would take a while to microwave that many bentos.

I think you are on the right track - make it a family-style picnic, with 3-4 items at the most. I guess that onigiri would make anyone happy if they are into anime, especially if they are anime fans, and most especially if they have not had them before. If you think that making that making onigiri for so many people sounds daunting though, a one-dish type of meal like chirashizushi (made with cooked or smoked fish and vegetables) would work too, arranged in individual boxes. If you are used to making sushi rolls, they would work also.

Thanks guys :)
There is definately going to be friut or veggies... prolly veggies and some Japanese candy for treat. Not pocky cus that is sold at the convention :)
I can't say thank you enough ^_^
When I get back I'll post a link to photos!
arigato gozaimasu
ありがとうございますのおはようございます

I tried posting earlier... guess it didn't go through.
I just wanted to let you all know that the Bentos were a success :)
Here is a list of what was in them:
Onogiri (rice balls)
Jyagatama (pototo balls)
Yakitori (chicken skewers)
Apple slices
Grapes
Cheese

They asked me to do it again next year :3
I did notice that the rice balls and potato balls were not all eaten.
That was the first time I used my rice cooker and the rice didn't turn out as good as it usually does.
And instead of using frozen veggies for the potato balls I used canned Veg-All... which gave them an odd taste.
I also need to get a bigger cooler to make sure everything stays cold... or freeze the cheese XD

i want to make sushi but japanese rice here is very expensive , can i use sticky rice or glutinous rice as an alternative ? or is there any other option ..
i tried to use 3cups sticky rice + a cup of regular rice (4cups in all) and then 5cups water .. so it wont be mushy , then i added 3tbsp regular white vinegar and 1tbsp salt in the rice and water before i cook it .. then it turned out great ..

Well, first of all, I am going to sound like an awful rice snob, but if you can afford it at all try to use Japanese or 'sushi' rice. I know it's usually more expensive than other types of rice, but rice is __the key__ to sushi, the star if you will, and the difference between using the right kind of rice vs. another kind is huge.

However, you can substitute any kind of medium grain rice - not round-grained sticky rice, which is too glutinous - for Japanese rice. See Looking at different types of rice for more.

RECIPE:
Potatoes
Peas
Corn
Carrots
(or frozen mix veggies; DO NOT use the canned mix. I used Veg-all... and it tasted funny>.>)
Mayo

1) Peel and cut potatoes into cubes and boil until soft... like you would for mashed potatoes :)
2) While taters are boiling, get the veggies ready. Either steam or zap em in a microwave. I actually have a microwave steamer :3
3) SLIGHTLY mash the potatoes with a potato masher or large spoon if you don't have one. You don't huge chunchs, but you don't want it too mushy like normal mashed potatoes... You want to be able to form them into balls :)
4) Combine potatoes, veggies and mayo.
5) Form into balls and place in bento :)
I would say start off with 1tbsp mayo... but that would really depend on your taste.
Some recipes call for salt, sugar and juice of 1 lemon. These are optional.

@ cheng:
What you did was actually a pretty good recipe if I say so :)
I have made Onigiri and Sushi rolls with just regular long grain and medium grain white rice and they have all turned out good.

4 cups steamed rice
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt

Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt in a mug or bowl and add to the rice when its done cooking.

I noticed that the recipe you posted sounded quite a lot like one tipical peruvian dish (I am peruvian), wich I just realized... is so Bento-able! Le me explain how it's done here in Perú:

You mash the potatoes after boiling them but you really mash them like mashed potatoes. We always use "yellow" potatoes here in Perú, wich are the most floury ones and therefore will make the best mashed potatoes. Now you add lemon juice. Lets say for one cup mashed yellow potatoes you will need 1 lemon. Please note that in southamerica our lemons are the most sour ones one will find. I've heard that one will NOT find lemons like the ones we have here somwhere else in the world, so try to get the smallest, greenest and souer-est of all! And to finish the potato paste you need to add "Ají Amarillo", Yellow.. hmmm... spicy chilly pepper. Here I found some info. about it: http://www.canelaycomino.com/2008/02/diy-aji-amarillo-paste/

You clean the Ají as shown there. If you like spicy stuff just remove the seeds and veins. I don't (wich is quite odd for being peruvian) so I cover the cleand Ají in boiling water and let stand for a few minutes and repeat the process. This will remove the spicyness but keep the unique flavor Ají Amarillo has. Finally you put it into your food processor or mixer with some oil to form a paste wich you will add to the potatoes and mix well with your hands.

Now that you have the potatoes paste, let's talk about the filling. There are 3 typical ways to fill Causa: Tuna, Chicken and Seafood. I like Tuna-Causa best, so I will explain how to do it. To make the other variations, simply substitute the tuna. For Chicken-causa omit the onions... shrimp-causa and other seafood causa is the most "expensive" and therefore kind of a "luxury-Causa".

To make Tunafilling: Chop up some onion, about half one and mix with a can of tuna. Add mayonese enough to form a paste (or more if you really like mayo!).
Also cut some avocado in long flat layers and sprinkle with lemon to prevent from oxidising and getting all black and ugly.

Now to layer the Causa: Take a 10 cm more or less deep dish and layer 1 cm or more of the potato mix. Now spread the tuna mix on top and vover with a thin layer of potatoe mix, spread a generous amount of mayonese and top with the avocado slices. Top with one last layer of potato. Decorate with mayo if desired, or chopped hardboiled eggs or chopped Aji. tadaaaa!!! Wanna look how a tiny, round Bento-able version of causa looks like?? : http://www.sabores.co.cr/images/recetas/gus_causa.jpg

Causa does not come out of the mold, so to make the nice round de-molded version do this: get a very high cookie cutter or cut up a tube and slightly grease it with vegetable oil, layer as explained and sloooowly remove the mold while pressing down the Causa with your fingers and pulling the mold/tube up.

Hope you like it, though the ingredients... I really dunno if it's difficult to get those everywhere....

Oh! And please forgive all those horrific spelling mistakes... My english is not the best xD

And don't you worry about those (very few) spelling mistakes. a) Your English is better than most English-speakers' Spanish or anything else you speak in Peru, and b) I've seen much worse spelling from university students who have only ever spoken English in their whole lives!